


When Steve Met Christian (Or How Steve Got His Alpha in 2 Days)

by house_of_lantis



Series: Alpha Pack [4]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-27
Updated: 2011-02-27
Packaged: 2017-10-16 00:00:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/house_of_lantis/pseuds/house_of_lantis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen and Jared take their longtime friend Steve to visit the curmudgeonly Houston pack Alpha, Christian. While they are on pack business, Steve discovers that he's found his mate in Christian. But is the cowboy pack leader ready to take on a new love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Steve Met Christian (Or How Steve Got His Alpha in 2 Days)

Somewhere over Texas…

 

When it came to architectural design, Steve Carlson was uncompromising. He had a bit of a reputation as a difficult architect to work with because he didn’t design based on the whimsical tastes of his clients, but based on the environment and a person’s need. It was organic, but it wasn’t biased.

Steve was fine with it. He had a distinctive style and a very masculine point of view in design. Most of his clients were bachelors with a lot of money. He built houses with wood, steel, glass, and concrete. He didn’t care if he had only one or two clients a year, mainly because he was so invested in the building of the house that he spent as much time at the build site as his construction crew.

It was Jensen’s glass house that put him on the international map. Ever since the Alpha opened up his fishbowl life, allowing to be examined by any member of the pack or human society, the glass house was getting more buzz than before. Steve had to hire an assistant to field all the calls and answer all the e-mail queries. If he did take on a client, there was a one-year waiting list and according to his assistant, Steve would be working for the next 15 years.

He leaned back on the plush leather seat of the Alpha’s private plane, strumming odd notes and chords on his guitar. He looked over to see Jensen and Jared sitting together, Jensen reading a thick file, and Jared’s head tucked against Jensen’s shoulder, his too tall body scrunched into the seat, twisted up against his mate. The kid was going to have a huge crick in his neck when he woke up, but he didn’t think Jared would care. It was three weeks since Jared came back from his hunt with the two rogue Alphas. Jared was still looking a little edgy, like one of those guys who comes back from being in a war zone. But he was glad that the Beta came back because he could see it wearing down on the Alpha. Steve attended the branding, but he didn’t take part in the blood hunt after wards. He stood with Jensen and Jared, waited with them until dawn when the pack members came back bloody and victorious. The pack had ripped Mark apart…and just before dawn, they had taken down Rob. One of the werewolves told him that it was a quick kill, that all of them agreed on a merciful death.

Such was the way of the pack, Steve mused, strumming a soft and melodic tune.

He grinned at Jensen when the Alpha lifted his head, nuzzling his face into Jared’s hair, taking a deep breath. Jensen glanced over at Steve to see him watching and he blushed slightly, not used to being watched so openly with his mate.

It was all right, Steve wanted to say, no one was going to fault the Alpha for loving his mate and showing him that kind of affection.

“We are beginning our descent and should be landing in 20 minutes,” the pilot announced softly over the cabin intercom.

Steve sat up and tucked his guitar back into the case. The flight attendant came by and Steve handed it to him to be put back into the standing compartment at the front of the plane. He put his seat belt on and leaned back, closing his eyes.

The Houston Alpha – Christian Kane – was a bit of a mystery. Not a lot about him in the news except that he had a moderately successful cattle ranch outside of the city. He was from an old Houston family, several generations in fact, old werewolf bloodline. Steve knew what he looked like, having seen him at the branding, showing his alliance to Dallas pack by being there. He was a good looking guy, but there was something else that Steve couldn’t read about him, like he was closed off or wounded. Houston pack was tight-lipped about their new Alpha to the point of being paranoid about it, so none of them really knew who this Christian was.

Jensen was smart, though, to get them invited to Christian’s turf to scope him out. He’d be on his home base, less intimidating this way. Steve understood that it put Jensen and Jared out in the open, but he knew and Christian knew that if anything happened to the Dallas Alpha and Beta, there was nothing to prevent a full on war – and no one wanted that.

Christian Kane. Huh. Man of mystery. Steve was curious; he liked having answers. He liked knowing what was what. And like he told Jensen, he did like a good cowboy now and then.

***

Kane Ranch  
Houston, Texas

Steve whistled as the SUV pulled onto the long stretch of dirt road from the main street. He could see a one-story ranch rambler on the property, a couple of well built stables, and what looked like a bunkhouse in the back.

“Nice,” he murmured, looking out the window, squinting from the sunlight and the dirt being kicked up by the tires.

“Chris will meet you at the main house,” Charlie said as he turned onto another dirt road that forked to the right towards the house.

Steve got out of the vehicle, looking around. He pulled on his sunglasses and took a deep breath, smelling everything – the dirt of the road, the ranch cows in the back, the horses, the stables, the clean hay, the pine trees around the property – and he smiled, clapping his hands.

His keen eye looked over the well built structure of the house – probably built in the early 1900s – brick, cement, wood beams that would last another few hundred years. He liked that the place had a natural look and feel – masculine and rustic. It was clean and well cared for by a man who appreciated his land and his home.

“Real nice place the Alpha’s got here,” Steve drawled, grinning widely.

Jensen and Jared gave him a quick grin, taking their bags from the back of the SUV. He walked over to the back and pulled out his guitar case and his back pack.

“Thinking about moving in?” Jared murmured against his ear.

Steve snickered, looking up at the young one. “I got the whole weekend to figure it out, don’t I?”

Jensen choked down a cough as Jared patted his mate on the back. “God, Steve, please don’t cause any kind of political incident while we’re here. This is supposed to be a peaceful meeting between our two packs.”

“Yeah, brotherly love and all that,” Steve said, inclining his head. “Don’t you worry about me, Alpha, I’m not going to stand in your way.”

He gave them a wide grin, giving them something to think about. Knowing Jensen, he’d probably get worried for no reason – not that Steve was going to give his Alpha any kind of grief. He was there to just be a buffer, keep things social and civil, like a neutral party.

He turned, hearing the hooves and whiny of a horse coming towards the house. They stood on the low front porch, waiting for the man to slow down. Steve leaned on the railing, eyeing the Houston Alpha. Yeah, now this was going to be interesting.

“Jensen, I hadn’t realized you’d already arrived,” Christian said, pulling up on his horse and dropping down to the ground expertly and gracefully. He wrapped the leather reins around the wood railing and patted the horse thoughtfully on the muscled neck. The horse breathed, nodding his head and rubbing affectionately against Christian’s shoulder. He pulled off his gloves, reaching out to shake Jensen’s hand. “I apologize for not greeting you formally. Welcome to Kane Ranch and to Houston.”

“Thanks for letting us visit you at home, Christian,” Jensen said, smiling amiably at him and shaking his hand. “You know my mate, Jared Padalecki.”

“Beta, good to see you again,” Christian said, looking at the taller man. “Thank you for bringing Robert back so that he could see Danneel one last time.”

Jared gave a tight smile. “I’m sorry for what happened to your Alpha, Christian.”

“Thanks for that, man.” He took a deep breath. “Speaking as Alpha for Houston pack, I hope we can put this behind us and move forward.”

Steve could see it was still too soon for Jared to put anything behind him; but Jensen nodded to Christian, placing a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “I hope so, too.”

“How is Danneel doing?” Steve said, looking at other man. Christian wasn’t very tall, but he was stocky, a nice build. He’d fit right against Steve. His hair was dark blond and long, but tied back with a band, a dirty hand print on his forehead. He was tanned from working outside; his forearms were like fucking Popeye. Steve imagined that he’d be hard to wrestle to the ground and hold down.

“Christian, this is our friend, Steve Carlson,” Jensen said, motioning to Steve.

Steve gave Christian his best smile. “Alpha.”

“Hello, Steve,” Christian said, shaking his hand. Steve caught his scent of clean hay and blueberries. He felt the warm and firm grasp of Christian’s hand in his, and Steve tightened his grip slightly, testing his strength, and holding his hand a little longer than necessary. Christian gave him a curious look with just his blue eyes, but his face was unreadable.

“Thank you for asking, she’s with family in the city. We’re all looking out for her. It’s not easy to lose a mate, especially after what Rob did, but she’ll never get left behind by the pack.”

“If there’s anything that Jared and I can do for her, please let us know,” Jensen offered, softly.

“Thanks. I’m glad you boys could come down,” Christian said, walking up to the front porch. He opened the door, waving for them to go inside. “Charlie will get you guys situated while I clean up. Dinner is always at six – we like to eat early out here in the country.”

Steve grinned, letting his eyes move down the Houston Alpha’s back, admiring the way that the worn jeans hugged his hips, ass, and thighs. He looked up to see Christian staring at him.

“I hope you don’t mind, but me and boys don’t tend to be formal around here,” he said to them with a small smile. “We don’t hold by titles here so if that’s going to be a problem…”

“No problem,” Jensen said, softly. “I’d hoped to be friends, not just politicians. Jay and I have enough politics in Dallas to sort through – this’ll be like a vacation for us.”

“All right,” Christian said and then nodded to Charlie. “Get the boys settled in their rooms and bring them out to the bunkhouse, will you, Charlie?”

“Sure thing, hoss,” Charlie said, winking at Christian. “Come on down this way.”

Steve watched as Jensen and Jared followed the guy who drove them in the SUV make their way down the hallway to the left. He took a moment to just look around the house – it was well worn and loved. Inside, there was huge stone fireplace in the living room, surrounded by a large black leather sectional, throw pillows and blankets. Steve grinned at the bear skin rug on the wood floors. There were framed pictures on the brick walls, the ceiling was high and had exposed wooden rafters criss-crossing up and down the rest of the house.

“I heard that you’re an architect,” Christian said, leaning against the wall. He crossed his arms in front of him, giving Steve a long look.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Your house is pretty awesome, Christian. It's been built to last a long time.”

“Thanks, man,” Christian said, giving him a proud grin. “It’s been in my family since 1897, ever since they settled here. I got some more family in Oklahoma, but I think of Texas as my home.”

Steve stood still as Christian looked him over, a small smile on his lips. He watched as Christian sniffed noisily, like he was clearing his nose, but Steve knew that he was just scented.

“You play?”

“Yep, ever since I was knee high.”

Christian chuckled. “Me, too. We have a lot of nights where the boys and I just camp out and all we do is play music and get drunk. You and the two city boys are welcomed to join.”

Steve laughed. “All right. But you know, Jensen and Jared, they might be civilized, but they’re not just two city boys.”

“So I gather,” Christian drawled, raising his eyebrow. “I’m going to get cleaned up. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

“Sure,” Steve said, watching as Christian pushed off the wall, walking down the hallway to his bedroom. That really was a nice ass. He almost thought he must’ve said it out loud because Christian turned and looked at him, his blue eyes glowing slightly in the faint light of the hallway.

***

Steve strolled out of the back of the house, looking at the cattle grazing in the fenced in field. Christian was leaning against it, looking out at his cows. Steve tucked his hands into his jeans and walked towards him.

“Hey.”

Christian looked at him and nodded. “You get settled in okay?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Steve said, taking a deep breath. “How many do you have?”

“About two hundred head of cattle,” he said, propping his arms over the top of the fence, leaning on it. “In a few months, we’ll move them up north.”

“Do you move them on land?”

Christian laughed. “It’s not ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ dude. We use these things called commercial livestock trains.”

Steve grinned, moving on his side to gaze at Christian. “I don’t know, it sounds like it would be fun.”

“Trust me, moving two hundred heads of cattle up north isn’t as fun as it sounds,” Christian said, chuckling softly.

“I meant the part when the two guys go up together,” Steve said, raising his eyebrow at him, a small smirk on his lips.

He watched Christian turn to look at him, his eyes dropping to Steve’s mouth and then up to meet his eyes. “You making a pass at me?”

“Trust me, Christian, you’ll know when I’m making a pass at you,” Steve murmured, leaning closer towards him. “I’ll say this, though, cowboy, you got a fine looking ass.”

Christian snorted, rolling his eyes. “I’ve heard better.”

“Probably,” Steve said, nodding. “But I know what to do with a fine ass.”

He could see that Christian wasn’t trying to smile at that. Steve kept grinning, watching Christian’s face, and they both started laughing as Christian slanted his eyes, looking at him.

“I don’t have words, dude,” Christian said, shaking his head. “You just met me.”

“Don’t play stupid, cowboy,” he murmured, taking a deep breath and scenting him. “I know when someone’s interested in me.”

Christian nodded, thoughtful, not fighting it. “So I gather.” He turned, giving Steve a serious look, his blue eyes hidden. “I’m not sure I can give you what you want, man. I’ll be up front about it now so you don’t think I’m playing some kind of game with you. I lost my mate about five years ago. Cancer. When she died, she wiped me out emotionally. All I have is the pack and the ranch; hell, being pack Alpha’s not really my thing either, but you don’t ever turn your back on your pack when they ask for your help, you know?”

Steve nodded, letting the playful smile fall off his face. “Yeah, I hear you.”

“So that’s all my cards on the table,” Christian said, turning to look at him. “What do you want?”

“A chance,” Steve said, reaching out slowly with his hand. He cupped Christian’s neck with his hand, rubbing his thumb down the thick artery under the skin. He could feel Christian’s heart beat fluttering staccato under his skin. “We got two days; we’ll be in each other’s pockets the whole time. That should give us enough time for you to decide you want to give me a chance.”

Christian looked at him for a long moment, like he wanted to give in. Instead, he took a deep breath and stepped to the side, Steve’s hand slipping off of him. They gazed at each other for a long moment. Steve could see the loneliness in his eyes now; the aloofness all just an act, keeping everyone at arm’s length. He wasn’t just mysterious, he was wounded. The dinner bell was loud in the quiet night.

“Come on, I don’t like to keep the boys waiting for dinner,” Christian said, smiling slightly as he turned to walk to the bunkhouse.

***

Steve woke early, his body not used to the strange bed and to the smells and sounds of the ranch. It was just before dawn and Steve could scent the sunrise coming quick on the heels of the moon. He kicked off the sheets and got out of bed, stretching naked, walking to the window and peered outside. He stood there for just a moment, watching the first streaks of red and yellow crossing across the dark sky and he grinned, taking a deep breath.

“Come on, girl, that’s right.”

Steve stretched out the window to see Christian standing inside of the training corral, a frisky horse on tethers. He was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, a bandana on his head. He let out a series of clicks with his tongue, moving slowly and gently in front of the horse.

He pulled on jeans and dug through his back pack for a clean tee-shirt, pulling it on as he made his way to the hallway, stopping off at the bathroom to take a piss and wash his face and teeth. He sighed, smelling coffee brewing in the kitchen, and poured himself a cup of black joe, and sauntered out of the house from the back with bared feet.

Christian was stroking his hand down the nose of the horse, speaking too quietly that Steve couldn’t hear what he was saying. He walked slowly and made just enough noise so that he wouldn’t spook the horse or Christian.

“Good morning,” Christian called softly, still petting the horse. “You’re up early.”

“Can’t sleep in a strange bed,” Steve said, taking a sip of coffee. “Damn, this is good stuff.”

Christian grinned over his shoulder at him. “Half my budget goes to buying the best coffee.”

“I bet it inspires loyalty among your boys,” Steve said, leaning on the fence. “Are you breaking in a new horse?”

“She’s a little skittish, but she wants to be a team player,” Christian said, petting her slowly and firmly. “I just got her a few days ago and she’s finding her adjustment a little scary. Nothing to be scared of, girl, right? You’re going to fit right in. Everyone’s gonna love you.”

Steve propped his chin on his arm, watching him. The horse flickered her ears, making a soft panting sound. She nudged Christian with her head, pushing him towards Steve. “I think she kinda likes me.”

Christian chuckled. “I think she likes the smell of your coffee.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Grab some of those carrots over there, would you?”

“Sure,” he said, walking to the small bag of vegetables hanging off the fence in a straw bag. He grabbed two large carrots, cleaned and fresh, and walked back towards Christian. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” he said, taking one of the carrots. “All right, you did good, you get a yummy treat.”

Steve grinned, sipping his coffee some more as he watched Christian with the horse. He set his coffee down on the ground beside him and climbed up the side of the fence, slow and easy, until he was straddling the top and holding out a carrot of his own.

“Come here, girl, I got a better one for you,” Steve called, clicking his tongue and murmuring soft sounds to the horse. He was surprised when the horse made a breathy noise, nudging Christian aside, and walking closer to him. Steve carefully held out the carrot, letting the horse come towards him, mouthing the carrot carefully and taking a hearty bite. Steve chuckled, reaching out to slowly brush his palm over her nose, letting her smell him. “You are a pretty girl, aren’t you? A real lady.” She took another bite of the carrot and he let it go, stroking her face and scratching her behind her ears as they twitched at him.

Christian moved to the fence, climbing up to sit on the other side, facing Steve. “You trying to charm my girl away from me?”

“Maybe I’m just trying to charm you instead. Is it working?” Steve said, chuckling.

Christian looked away, smiling and shaking his head. “I’m not that easy.”

He let out a deep breath, looking around the ranch. “It’s quiet here – pretty damn beautiful, really.”

“You want to go for an early morning ride? I just need to put Belle back in the stables if you’re interested,” he said, reaching out to scratch her on the other side of her ears.

“Sure,” Steve said, nodding.

“Put on some boots or something,” Christian said, jumping lightly back inside the corral and pulling off his bandana, wiping his face with it. “Never had an incident, as snakes give werewolves a wide berth, but you never know walking around barefoot like that.”

“Yeah, probably wasn’t the smartest idea.”

Christian snorted. “City boy.”

Steve got off the fence and picked up his coffee, finishing it off. “I’ll be right back. Meet you at the stables?”

“Give me five minutes.”

He strolled back towards the house, feeling the prickly sensation of the sunrise in his brain. He heard the sounds of morning life coming from the bunkhouse as he went into the main house, stopping in the kitchen to rinse out his mug and putting it on the dish drainer on the counter. He slipped into his room and pulled on socks and then his usual boots. He swung by the bathroom and thought he ought to brush his teeth, all minty fresh in case the cowboy wanted to make out.

By the time he walked into the stables, Christian had bridled both horses and was saddling the second horse. He watched as the other werewolf stood to the offside of the horse, adding the padding on his back by his withers. He gently hefted the saddle and placed it over the padding. Steve walked closer, placing his hand on the horse’s nose, letting it scent him. Christian grinned, buckling the back cinch on and then moving on to the front cinch.

“Hop on and I’ll adjust the stirrups for you,” Christian said, bending low and putting his fingers together in the classic foot grip pose.

“Yeah…I’ve never done this before,” Steve admitted, smiling slightly.

“It’s like riding a bike. Come on, left foot here, toss your right leg over, ally-oop,” he said, chuckling softly.

Steve placed his hand on Christian’s shoulder, letting his fingers curl into the firm muscle, and grabbed the horn of the saddle with his other hand, and put his left foot into the palms of his hands, bouncing a bit on his right foot. He took a steady jump, Christian boosting him up until he sat steady on the saddle. Steve grinned down at Christian, feeling the warm hands on his thighs, helping him balance.

“You good?” Christian patted Steve’s thigh.

“Yeah, nice fit,” Steve said, getting used to being in the saddle. The horse twitched and took a couple of steps. “Whoa.”

Christian chuckled. “Steady there now. Don’t wiggle around so much, he doesn’t like that.”

“Yeah, I don’t like that,” Steve said, smiling.

“I meant you.”

“I knew that,” Steve murmured, watching as Christian adjusted the stirrups, slipping his foot into them.

“How’s that feel?”

“Good.”

Christian adjusted the other side and then gathered up both reins, handing them to Steve. “You all right?”

“Just because I’ve never been on a horse doesn’t mean I can’t ride,” Steve said, grinning widely.

He snorted, moving to his own horse and saddling up quickly. Steve nibbled on his tongue, watching as Christian slid his hips forward and backwards on the saddle, grinning at him the whole time.

“Now that’s just unfair,” Steve said, raising his eyebrow.

“I never said that I was fair,” Christian replied, looking at him.

“What’s my horse’s name?”

“His name is Buck,” Christian said, clicking his tongue and tapping his heels into the sides of his horse.

Steve watched as Christian and his horse trotted down the dirt pathway. He took a deep breath and stroked his hand down the horse’s neck. “All right, Buck. You don’t throw me off and I won’t make this hard on you, deal?”

The horse whinnied softly and then Steve gave a tap with his heels and jerked slightly as Buck moved forward. Christian laughed softly as they caught up to them, keeping to a slow and steady pace.

They rode in companionable silence. Steve liked that about Christian, knew when to just enjoy the quiet, not try to fill it with mindless chatter. He looked at the land, following Christian’s lead, urging Buck along a well worn trail. They strode through some trees, coming to another clearing. Christian stopped, leaning forward in his saddle. Steve moved Buck to stand beside him. He looked at Christian, seeing the morning light moving over them, reaching out across the land until the light hit the glass of the house, creating a beautiful starburst.

“This is probably my favorite spot in the whole world,” Christian murmured, smiling to himself.

“Mean something to you?” Steve said, leaning forward with his elbow on his knee.

He nodded. “I’ll tell you about it someday.”

“I hope so,” Steve said, not pushing. He smiled, sitting up and taking a deep breath. “My ass is going to be so sore after this.”

Christian laughed, throwing back his head, looking at Steve.

***

Steve was playing his guitar, entertaining the boys in the bunkhouse when they heard yelling coming from the main house. He strummed to a stop, sitting up, everyone quieting down. He couldn’t hear what they were saying so he got up and walked towards the house, stepping inside quietly.

“—expect us to give up our freedoms for Dallas?” Christian said, hotly.

“Please, Christian, just hear us out,” Jared said, his voice tense.

Steve crept into the house and saw Christian, Jensen, and Jared in the living room. None of them looked happy.

“You can’t just walk into my house, into my city, and tell me to offer up my pack to the Dallas pack chopping block,” Christian growled at them.

“We’re not asking you to do anything of the sort,” Jensen said, his voice moderate and soothing. “Pack unity can bring us closer, take away our pack divisions, create a solidified pack. That brings us pack power—“

“That puts us in the spotlight and our society can’t afford to have that kind of spot on us,” Christian told him. “We live a quiet, peaceful existence with human society. Once they see us starting to group and ally together – what you’re asking me to do is put my pack in harm’s way, Jensen. I’m not going to do that.”

“Don’t you owe us a little more consideration than that, Kane?” Jared growled, softly.

“Jay, no—“ Jensen said, chidingly.

“Yeah, that’s right. I was just waiting for one of you to bring that up,” Christian sneered at them.

“That’s not how I—we feel, Christian,” Jensen said, standing up and walking towards him. “I don’t hold Houston pack accountable for what happened to me. Jay is talking as my Beta and my mate.”

“Jesus, I’m sorry, man,” Jared said, his tone low. “Shit, I didn’t mean that.”

“But you said it and you thought it; so if the pack leaders have thought it, then you know that others have, too,” Christian told them, running his hand through his hair. “I need to take a walk.”

Steve watched as Christian passed them, slamming the back patio door open and storming through to the stables. He turned and walked to Jensen and Jared in the living room. “That sounded pretty ugly.”

“Yeah, it was,” Jensen said, sitting down and letting out a deep sigh. He rubbed his face with his hands. “Damn it.”

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” Jared murmured, kneeling in front of Jensen. “I’m sorry, I had no right to say that.”

Jensen caressed his head, kissing him on his forehead. “I know you’re still working through your anger, but you can’t say those things in public, Jay. You have to be careful. It’s still politics for us, all right?”

Jared nodded, closing his eyes. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, I fucked up.”

“I know; it’s all right, Jay. Nothing is unsalvageable,” Jensen told him. He looked up at Steve. “I could really use your help running interference and maybe smoothing some ruffled fur.”

“Sure. Just one thing, though. Try to see it from his side, too. You know I’m with you and that my loyalty is always with Dallas pack and to my Alpha and my Beta, but try to see it from his point of view. He’s been tapped to be the Houston Alpha after everything bad went down. But look at the werewolf you’re dealing with – look at the man, see how he lives. He’s not going to be bought; he’s not going to be easily persuaded to join with anyone. From what the boys tell me, all of Houston pack has his back because he stepped up when no one else wanted to.”

Jensen nodded, looking up at Steve. “I promise; we’ll figure it out.”

“All right,” Steve said, smiling at them. “I’m going to go see about the cowboy.”

“Thanks, Steve,” Jared called, looking up at him, his eyes lowered and showing nothing but his misery.

Steve knew that Jensen would take care of Jared; they needed each other, their wounds still too fresh to have to deal with this kind of serious pack business. He didn’t fault them for wanting to try, though; he respected that they always thought of the pack first, even when they probably wanted to just hide away and lick their wounds, heal a little bit more.

He detoured to his room and dug through his back pack for what he needed, smiling to himself as he tucked it into his back pocket.

He found Christian in the stable, leaning against the wall. “Hey.”

Christian glared at him and then dropped his eyes to the ground. “What do you want?”

“I’m just a neutral party,” Steve said, sighing. “And I just wanted to check in on you.” He walked closer towards Christian. “You all right?”

Christian grabbed him by the upper arms, pushing him against the wall. Steve groaned at the feel of Christian’s warm body, pressing hard against him. He looked into glowing blue eyes and gasped at the taste of Christian in his mouth and in his senses, licking and biting him back, both of them growling. Steve grabbed a handful of Christian’s hair, twisting it hard in his hand and turning so that he could hold Christian against the stable wall. He looked into the angry, flushed face, seeing the beautiful animal coming to the surface.

“You want this because you’re gonna give me a chance or because you just want to get laid?” Steve husked to him, holding him still and looking into his eyes. Christian must’ve come to his senses because he tried to move away. Steve held on to him, keeping him pressed on the wall. “I’m asking so that I know where I stand.”

“Get off of me,” Christian muttered, looking at him.

Steve sighed, pulling gently away, untangling his hair from his hand, smoothing his hand down Christian’s chest. “I can handle either option, Christian; I just need to know what it is that you want from me.”

Christian stepped away, running his hands over his face. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize,” Steve murmured, leaning against the wall. “I’m a big boy, I can handle it.”

He waited for Christian to make his move. He put his cards on the table now. The other werewolf turned, his eyes looking at Steve, moving over him in a measuring way. Steve wasn’t shy, he dropped his arms to his side and let Christian look his fill. He knew the other werewolf needed some kind of release, not just a physical one, but something primal and emotional in him. He didn’t know Christian well, but the boys sure liked to talk about him. Steve figured out that in the five years since Christian’s mate passed on, he had cut himself off from everyone – physically, emotionally, and creatively. The boys talked about how Christian used to go around to local bars and play his guitar and sing songs that he wrote. Those were in happier times. This Christian was cut off from the world, just going through the motions, the living dead. Steve wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could be the one, but he wasn’t going to stand by and let someone like Christian live like a ghost.

“What’re you waiting for?” Steve whispered to him, angling for a reaction.

He watched Christian sneer. “I’m not playing a game with you, Steve.”

“You tell yourself that,” Steve said, shrugging. “You’re itching for something, though, aren’t you, Chris? You’re either itching for a fight or you’re itching for a fuck. Now I’m not going to fight you but I’ll kick your ass if I have to; however, I’d rather you brought your fine ass over here and fucked me instead of me kicking yours to the ground.”

“Goddamn it,” Christian hissed at him. “It’s not that simple.”

“Yeah, it actually kind of is,” he said, giving him a smile that offered as much as Christian wanted. “Come on, cowboy.”

Steve watched as Christian took a hesitant step towards him, his fists clenched beside him. His long strides brought him closer to Steve until he was standing in front of him. Steve waited, wanting Christian to step closer. Come on, cowboy, come on over here. Let me see it, show me what you’re feeling.

Christian raised his hand, dragging it into Steve’s hair. He pulled tight and Steve arched his neck, keeping his eyes on Christian. He sighed with relief when Christian kissed him, sweeping his tongue into his mouth.

It wasn’t what he was expecting. He was expecting Christian to rip down his pants and push him against the wall, kick his legs apart, and take him. He was expecting Christian to growl through his old pain and loneliness, push him to the edge of pain turning into pleasure. He was expecting something hard and angry. But Steve didn’t get any of that.

He stared in surprised as Christian gave him a gentle kiss, his hands releasing their hold on his hair, fingertips caressing through his hair and stroking his scalp. Steve placed his hands on Christian’s back, sliding his hands up the firm back to wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer. He kissed Steve tenderly, nipping lightly on his lip and tongue, letting out a soft growl of want. Steve held his head still, slicking his tongue into Christian’s mouth, tasting salt and coffee and nicotine. Christian’s hands moved down his chest, scratching down his sides, drawing circles and ovals and other round shapes on his body.

“Come on, baby,” Steve whispered, urging Christian closer, rubbing his thigh against Christian’s hard cock. “You need it bad, don’t you?”

Christian gave a primal growl, stepping closer and sliding his hips forward.

Steve chuckled, throaty and harsh. “You’re going to owe me later.”

“Yeah,” Christian muttered, licking and nipping his neck, his mouth finding a pulse point and sucking hard. Steve groaned, moving his chin back, giving Christian room. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of his mouth on him, marking him.

“Enough, come on,” Steve grabbed his head, pulling him away and kissing his gaping mouth. “Fuck me, Chris.”

He handed Christian the lube from the back pocket of pants, turning around to undo his jeans, dropping them to his knees. He pressed his hands against the wall and swept his long hair off his face, turning to look over his shoulder at Christian.

Christian was busy pushing down his own jeans, his boxers getting tangled with the denim. He slicked his cock as Steve watched and then moved closer to Steve, slick fingers sliding down the cleft of his ass, gently circling his opening and moving inside of him, firm and knowing.

It was all just instinct now. Steve groaned when he felt Christian’s chest against his back, his hand holding Steve’s ass apart, the head of his cock pressing against him. He nearly went boneless as Christian hissed, sliding into him, to the hilt, not giving him a second to think about it.

“Oh Jesus,” Christian whispered into his neck. “Steve…Jesus…”

Steve reached back, his hand grasping Christian’s bared ass, urging him on. He moved his other arm, bending it at the elbow and dropping his forehead against his forearm, grunting as Christian fucked into him fast and hard, no finesse, no rhythm, nothing but animal need, both of them dosed high on each other’s pheromones, caught up in the moment.

He felt like slick steel, battering against his sensitive flesh. He could feel the hard scratch of Christian’s unshaved cheek on his neck and cheek. Steve arched, legs shaking as Christian hit that good spot inside of him, sending chills up his spine. He let go of Christian’s ass and moved his hand between them, fingers grazing against Christian’s wet cock as it moved in and out of him. He curled his hand under, caressing the balls slapping against him, hearing Christian stutter and moan.

There was nothing like this, nothing compared to the kind of pleasure that only someone else could give. Christian scratched at his hips, fingers gripping tightly, nails digging into his skin. Steve didn’t care; he liked marks and bruises at the end of a good fuck. He bit his lip and squeezed his muscles, feeling Christian speed up, nearly howling into his ear now.

He reached for his own cock, wet and hard, stroking fast, getting himself off. He could tell that Christian was close, the way that he just lost it, his hips thrusting frantically, reaching for his pleasure.

Christian wrapped his arms across Steve’s chest, pulling him in tight and upright, pressing close to him, sweaty and hot. His teeth clasped on his neck, biting down hard. Steve opened his eyes, panting loudly, his hand moving fast now, just on the head, getting close…closer…nearly there goddamn it…fuck, Christian just marked him with his teeth!

Steve came, shaking and thrusting his hips, his hand pumping his cock, dribbling all over his fist and the stable floor. Christian heaved a loud groan, his teeth still embedded in Steve’s flesh, the scent of blood in the air. Christian held him tighter and Steve felt him let go, a deep, almost painful sounding whine filling his ears as Christian came inside of him, cock feeling hot from the friction of flesh against flesh.

They both slumped against the wall and Steve caught his breath, his head bent against his arm. “You…you all right?”

Christian licked his neck. “God, I can’t believe I did that…are you…hurt?”

“Nah,” Steve said, hiding his wince as Christian slipped out of him. He groaned at how loose his ass felt, slick and come dripping down the back of his thigh.

“Damn it, hold on,” Christian said, pulling off his shirt and wiping Steve clean.

“Thanks,” Steve said, catching his breath. He turned and fell back against the wall, too wiped out to pull up his pants. “Fuck…we both needed that.”

Christian chuckled, tossing the dirty shirt on the floor. He pulled up his boxers and his jeans, not looking at Steve. “I don’t…”

“Come on,” Steve said, snorting. He rolled his eyes, chuckling. “I’m not some girl that you have to send along my merry way after a roll in the hay, Chris. Cut it out, you’re making me blush.”

“I doubt there’s much that’ll make you blush, Steve,” Christian said, looking up at him.

Steve knew that Christian was checking out all the marks that he left on him. He tilted his head, turning to the side, letting Christian look.

“I bit you,” he said, swallowing thickly.

“Heat of the moment,” Steve said, shrugging and giving him an out. “It’ll heal.”

Christian stared at him for a long time. “I haven’t bitten anyone in…in years.” He reached out and touched the marks. “I miss seeing my marks on someone.”

Steve let him stroke the marks, taking a deep breath. “You didn’t answer my question. Was this my chance or was this just you getting laid?”

“I gave you my mark, it’s not just about getting laid,” Christian said, slightly affronted.

“But was it my chance?”

Christian sighed, looking away. “I don’t know, Steve.”

Steve nodded, pulling up his jeans and doing them up. “All right. You know where I am if it’s my chance; if not, it was just a good fuck between two people who needed it.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean…”

The dinner bell rang.

Steve turned to grin at Christian. “Don’t want to keep dinner waiting.”

***

Somewhere over Texas…

“That is one hell of a hickey,” Jared said, eyeing Steve’s neck.

“That, my boy, is an Alpha’s mark on his Beta.” Steve grinned, strumming a series of chords on his guitar. They were headed back to Dallas and he was pleased with his weekend in Houston.

“Shit. You’re really not going to do anything about this?”

Steve gazed at his pack Beta and let out a soft laugh. “What do you think? You think any Alpha is going to just let their Beta go on without a by your leave?”

Jared snickered, looking out the small window of the private plane. “Damn. You’re going to make him work for it, aren’t you?”

“Probably, but I’m worth it – once he figures it out,” Steve said, sitting back in the plush seat. He gazed at Jensen, sleeping on Jared’s shoulder. The Alpha always looked so young when he was asleep, like he was finally just a man who could put the burdens of being pack Alpha aside – or maybe it was because he was with his mate, knowing that Jared would be there to watch his back.

The rest of their weekend went by without any more shouting or debates. They left Christian with things to ponder about pack unification, about pack politics, about peace with all packs, about peace with humans. Christian didn’t make any promises, but he told them that he would bring it up to his Were Council and let his pack mates decide their own fate. It was more than Jensen and Jared expected.

He knew that Christian had a hard time watching him leave. Steve was fairly certain that Christian would come and find him within a week.

“I don’t expect that Christian Kane is stupid,” Jared murmured, his hand reaching out to stroke Jensen’s leg.

“He’s a lot of things, but stupid he ain’t,” Steve agreed, fondly.

“That means you’re going to leave us if you accept his collar as his pack Beta and mate,” Jared said, looking at him.

Steve stopped strumming, looking up at the Dallas Beta. He gave him a nod. “If that time comes, yeah, I’ll go with him to Houston pack.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll stand by him as his Beta. I’ll do everything I can to make him happy.”

“He’s lucky,” Jared said, smiling widely at him. “Let’s hope he’s not going to take too long to figure it out.”

***

Kane Ranch

Christian stood in his bedroom, looking at his back in the dresser mirror. He was scratched up, like he was attacked by a rabid cat. He grinned, seeing some of the scratches starting to heal, souvenirs of a heated morning with Steve in the stables before they left. He reached for a clean tee-shirt in one of the drawers, his glance moving across the skin of his neck. He looked in the mirror again, turning his neck to the side, seeing a deep red blossom under the skin. It looked like Steve left him a little mark of his own.

He wasn’t sure if he was ready to step into another relationship. All of his instincts told him that Steve was mate, that he’d be a strong partner for him. It was just his own fears of losing another mate that kept him from claiming Steve after only two days of knowing him.

Maybe it wasn’t so strange then, Christian thought. He pulled on the shirt and sat on the edge of his bed, the sheets still smelling of Steve and sex and musk. The animal in him wanted nothing more than to run up to Dallas and claim him for his own. It was time that Christian followed his heart…and his nose.


End file.
